Kathryn D. Thornton, 89, a resident of rural Princeton, died on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at her home.
Private family services will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Princeton Volunteer Fire & Rescue or the Scott County Humane Society. McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
She was born on Oct. 21, 1934, in Rock Island, the daughter of Lawrence and Vivian (Pauley) Jackson. On April 12, 1952, she was united in marriage to Dayton E. “Tony” Thornton in LeClaire. He preceded her in death on May 9, 2023.
In earlier years, Kathryn was employed as a switchboard operator for the phone company in Princeton and later, worked in the student aid department of Kaplan College. Following her retirement, she continued to work part-time at her daughter’s business, Camp McClellan Cellars in the Village of East Davenport.
Those left to honor her memory include her children, Terri Thornton of Firestone, Colo., Cindy (David) Ramsay of Davenport, Julie (Tim) Keehn of Eldridge, and Mark (Stephanie) Thornton of Rock Island; eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her daughter, Vickie Thornton, in 2023.
The family would like you to know that Kathyrn loved having her whole family together. Monthly family dinners to celebrate birthdays were a common and cherished occurrence. She was proud of what her children accomplished and offered her support when needed. She was always interested in what her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were doing and enjoyed watching them ride the gator, ATVs, play ball in the front yard, or swimming in the pool before Dad filled it in. She was always amused at the antics of her great-great-grandson. Having played girls’ basketball in high school, she enjoyed watching the Iowa Hawkeye teams, especially Caitlin Clark. On quiet days she would sit on her front porch and watch the corn grow, the passing wildlife, or the hummingbirds at her feeders, and loved it when Flenker’s cows arrived each spring.
With the help of family and neighbors, she cared for her husband in his final years as he battled dementia and was proud that she was able to keep him home. She has missed him this past year. Her constant companion was her dog Misty, who guarded her from anyone who wanted to kiss her goodbye.
The family would like to thank the Princeton Fire and Rescue members for their compassion and care of our parents in their final years.
Condolences may be expressed to the family by viewing her obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.
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